Ovarian cancers arise due to the uncontrollable division of abnormal cells in the ovary. The resultant tumour can be benign or malignant. Benign tumours will not spread to other parts of the body, however malignant tumours often do. Cancerous tumours may spread to nearby structures such as the uterus or fallopian tubes and if the cancer remains undetected or untreated the malignant cells will then spread further to the bowel, liver or lungs.
Ovarian cancer is one of the major causes of cancer-related death in women. Additionally it is the most common gynaecologic type of cancer. Even though there is relatively low incidence of this type of cancer, ovarian cancer has a high fatality ratio, with overall 5-year survival of less than 30%.
Cancer of the ovary affects more than 6,500 women in the UK each year. It is the fifth most common cancer among women after breast cancer, bowel cancer, lung cancer and cancer of the uterus (womb).
Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at a late stage as the symptoms, such as persistent bloating, pain in the pelvis and lower stomach and difficulty eating are similar to other conditions.
Because ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage (3 or 4) when it has spread to other parts of the abdomen. Advanced cancer may not be curable. The goal of treatment is to put the tumour into remission so it shrinks or disappears.
Surgery may be used to remove as much of the cancer as possible, in addition chemotherapy or radiotherapy may be used to reduce symptoms such as pain by shrinking the cancer.
Chemotherapy involves the use of cytotoxic drugs to kill cancer cells. It is often given after surgery for ovarian cancer. In some cases, it can be given before surgery as it may help shrink the tumour and make it easier to remove.
Several different drugs can be used in chemotherapy. Often, a combination is given. The most common treatment for ovarian cancer is a carboplatin, which is used alone or in combination with another drug, paclitaxel.
Over the course of the chemotherapy, different tests can monitor how the ovarian cancer is responding to treatment. The level of CA125 in your blood may be increased in a patient with ovarian cancer and blood tests can be used to see if the level of this chemical is falling. In addition the tumour may be visible on a CT or ultrasound scan, repeated scans can be used to see whether it has shrunk.
The main side effects of chemotherapy are caused by its influence on normal, healthy cells, such as immune cells. Side effects include: infections; loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, tiredness, hair loss and sore mouth.
At present, there are inadequate treatment options for the management of ovarian cancer, and therefore development of novel approaches for treatment of this disease are needed.
Surprisingly the applicant has discovered that certain phytocannabinoids are able to produce apotosis of ovarian carcinoma cells. Additionally combinations of phytocannabinoids are able to significantly reduce the ovarian cancer cells viability.